Improvement in guards for car-axle boxes



J. PARKER. Guard for Car-Axle Boxes.

No. 208,331. PatentedS ept. 24,1878.

INVENTOR BY L" N. PETERS; more umoemum UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES PARKER, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

IMPROVEMENT IN GUARDS FOR CAR-AXLE BOXES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 208,331, datedSeptember 24, 1878; application filed August 17, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES PARKER, of Detroit. in the county of Wayneand State of Michigan, have invented a new and Improved GuardforCar-Axle Boxes, of which the following is a specification:

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a verticallongitudinal section of a car-axle box with my improved oil and dustguard, and Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section on line a: :v ofFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the ratchet-setting key, and Fig. 4an elevation of a modified form of guard.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to an improved guard for car-axle boxes, by whichnot only a considerable percentage of the oil lost with the presentaxle-boxes is saved, but also the entrance of dust and the rapid wear ofthe journal and brass bearings prevented.

The invention consists of a guard for caraxle boxes that is made of twosections, which are fitted by semicircular recesses with leather washersand intermediate packing to the caraxle, and applied tightly to the axleby an encircling strap and tightening mechanism, a packing beinginterposed between the outer edges of the sections and the straps tohold the guard tightly in the guide-walls of the box.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a dust and oil guard that isguided between the rear wall of the car'axle box and an interior wall ofthe same, so as to be tightly retained in position. The guardA is madeof two sections, of brass or other metal, which fit by semicircularrecesses around the car-axle near the point where the same passesthrough the opening in the rear wall of the axle-box. To both sides ofthe guard-sections are riveted, by sheetmetal hands a, leather or rubberwashers or flanges 1), between which a packing, d, of cotton-flannel isinterposed. The ends of one guard-section are provided with rubberblocks e, against which the ends of the other section bear, so as toform a cushioning joint therewith. A sheet-metal strap, B, extendsaround the circumference of the lower guard-section, and up along thesides of the upper section, the strap being attached to pulleys orratchets f, and tightened by turning the pulleys by means of levers orkeys g, and retaining them by spring-pawls h, or other equivalentmechanism, as shown in Fig. 4:. Between the edges of the guard-sectionsand binding-strap B is placed a continuous strip, 0, of packing that isdipped into a hot solution of tallow, beeswax, flour, and oil, and madeto project at both edges of the strap, so as to form, by compressionwith the walls of the box, a perfectly tight joint. The inner circularpacking thus prevents the escape of oil aroimd the axle, and the outerpacking the escape of oil from the box, while keeping at the same time,in connection with the strap, the guard firmly in position. When theaxle-box is placed on the journal and the guard clamped tightly aroundthe axle, a perfectly oil and dust tight joint is ob tained, thatprevents the loss of oil, and admits a longer wear of the brass bearingwithout interfering with the lateral motion of the axle.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent- In a dust and oil guard for car-axle boxes,the combination of the upper guard-section, having semicircular recesswith elasticwashers or flanges, intermediate packing, and cushioning endblocks, with the lower guard-section, having washers and packing, andwith an encircling strap and mechanism for tightly stretching the strapand pressing the guardsections around the axles, substantially asspecified.

JAMES PARKER.

Witnesses:

RoLLrN A. SMITH, ALBERT H. WILKINsON.

